Separation anxiety is a topic that has been coming up a lot recently around me so I thought I would write a quick blog post about it in case there is anyone out these going through this with their dog and might want to know some ways that they can recognize it / deal with it at home right away. Of course the first thing people will always say is “hire a dog trainer!” and that is usually the best idea because they have the ability to come in, meet your dog, assess the situation and set out a plan/goals for you and your dog to reach to overcome your specific hurdles. Many times, however, there are signs of separation anxiety that go missed, or aren’t noticed until you’re in a situation where you need to leave your dog and cannot because of these issues. OR you may just not …

Recently a “dog walker” in Toronto was witnessed walking half a dozen dogs off leash down a city street, while dragging a dog by the neck up on it’s hind legs. A passerby saw this happening and confronted this person in the street, all while filming him in the act. Later he posted this film online and has since been on the radio and tv news to tell his story. It turned out that the walker ran his own “company” called Woof Pack and did not have business insurance or a city walking permit. There has been a lot of discussions online about what is required for dog walkers since this story broke. A lot of what I hear from both sides is not factual so I thought I would write a post to clarify how dog walking works in Toronto and, more importantly, what questions a dog owner should …

1. You save a life. All animals at our shelter are in need of a second chance. They have been lost, given up or abandoned. They are all unwanted and helpless. You are giving them a new life in a loving home. 2. You help break the cycle of pet overpopulation. There are not enough homes for all the animals that are born every year. Adopting from a shelter helps weaken the pet overpopulation cycle. Each year 8 to 12 million dogs, cats, puppies and kittens are euthanized because there are simply not enough homes for them. 3. You help stop cruelty in mass breeding facilities. Throughout the country, thousands of commercial pet-breeding facilities and backyard breeders produce millions of animals for sale in pet stores and through newspaper ads. Often known as puppy and kitten mills, these facilities repeatedly impregnate female dogs that spend their entire lives in cages …

A Toronto police officer managed to save a German Shepherd that fell through the ice at Grenadier Pond Saturday—but not before he and a firefighter also fell into the water. The dog, named Whistler, ran onto the pond in High Park Saturday afternoon and fell through the thin ice. By the time police arrived, Whistler’s owner had crawled after the dog and was already six metres out, said Const. Matthew Abramovitz. They managed to get the owner safely back, although he fell in close to the shore. By this time Whistler had been in the water for about 10 minutes and looked tired, Abromovitz said. The dog was struggling to claw itself out, and at one point it looked like he stopped swimming. “He stopped paddling at one point,” he said. “I believed that his head was going to go under the water and we were going to lose him.” …

Toronto dog lovers are divided after a controversial new bylaw banning some dog collars kicked in this month. The bylaw bans anyone from using choke collars and choke chains (also known as slip collars), pronged collars and “any similar device” on dogs. Police dogs and martingale collars are both exempt from the bylaw. What began as a city staff recommendation to ban the use of such collars for tethering was expanded into a blanket ban that city council unanimously accepted. It’s a move that took many dog trainers, owners and dog organizations by surprise. Jennifer Legere, a Toronto dog trainer, says the banned collars are key when it comes to keeping some dogs, their owners and the public safe. “They are able to stop a powerful, determined dog (who) can overpower its owner. With this, it gives you the leverage that you need,” she said. “It is an effective tool, …

The Spring Canadian Pet Expo is the first National pet show of the year hosted by the Canadian Pet Expo April 14th – 16th 2017. Over 265,000 square feet in three halls hosting a multitude of pet focused events. These exciting events are all high energy, interactive, and pet family friendly, that include Aqua Dogs, FlyBall, Hands on Exotics, WoofJocks Canine All Stars, Interactive Agility Pet Area, Breeders Village, Canada’s Largest Cat show, Rabbit and Guinea Pig Showcase, Ontario Dog Groomers Association Rodeo Rescue and the list of of pet excitement grows. Check the schedule to ensure you don’t miss any of it. The Canadian Pet Expo will be presenting its responsible pet ownership message to over 175,000 pet attendees and their pets through out Canada. With our diversity in the vendors list and dedicated team of sponsors the Canadian Pet Expo will continue to share the message that every …